High purity gelatins are generally required for imaging applications. Currently the most commonly employed manufacturing process for obtaining high purity gelatins involves demineralization of bone, followed by extended alkaline treatment (liming) and finally gelatin extractions with water of increasing temperature as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,514,518, and 4,824,939. This process commonly referred to as lime processed ossein has existed with various modifications throughout the gelatin industry for a number of years. The liming step of this process requires up to 60 days or more, the longest step in the approximately 3 month process of producing gelatin. The extended time required by the current limed ossein process for producing gelatin results in the need for increased inventories of the work in progress.
An object of the present invention is to reduce the typical 3 month processing time required to extract photographic quality gelatin from ossein.